"My quest for equality began many years ago."
On a cold night in a city as new as it was old a young man with golden hair dressed in orange and black was running.
"When I was a boy, my family and I lived on a small farm. We weren't rich, and none of us were benders."
The young man stopped his action as he stood on the top of a factory. Taking a few steps forward he placed his hand on the side of a glass window. The glass started to vibrate as did the lock holding it in place a second latter and a click indicated that it was now open.
"This made us very easy targets for the firebender who extorted my father."
The young man easily slipped inside looking down he saw that the machines of fire, oil, and industry had gone cold and dormant for the night as a professional make shift stage had been erected for the evening on the center of the work floor.
"One day, my father confronted this man, but when he did…"
The young man jumped down as an invisible force slowed is descent and guided him on top of the stage's metal grated catwalk.
"…that firebender took my family from me. Then, he took my face".
Slowly walking on the catwalk the young man crouched down and watched the stage floor ignoring the crowd of spectators and the masked men wearing identical leather uniforms in favor of the hooded one lighting the stage with his words.
"I've been forced to hide behind a mask ever since."
The young man narrowed his eyes at the mention of the man's mask clenching his fist with one hand while trying to calm it with the other.
"As you know, the Avatar has recently arrived in Republic City." The decorated masked man paused allowing his audience to boo and yell out their frustrations. "And if she were here, she would tell you that bending brings balance to the world. But, she is wrong. The only thing bending has brought to the world, is suffering."
And that's when the young man decided to upstage the showman. "You know you might be right about that!" he shouted his voice carrying out in all directions of the factory stealing everyone's attention as they looked up. The young man then took a step back and fell, falling straight down and landing right on his feet as if the twenty feet jump was nothing.
"But I think what's really bringing this world down the most, is thieves like you who take things that don't belong to them."
Amon held up his hand stopping his men from apprehending the orange and black stranger. "And tell me Mr…"
"The name's Naruto." He stated as folded his arms with a scowl. "Naruto Uzumaki."
"Uzumaki…as in the Uzumaki Temple strange I had assumed no one with that name still existed." Amon said as his fingers scraped along the side of his mask.
"Yeah the Uzumaki Temple were you stole that mask from the storage cabinet!" Naruto yelled.
"Yes when I was at a crossroad with the spirits guiding me to my faith. They led me towards that temple which was vacant at the time. Showing me this mask and what its visage would be as a symbol for our revolution!"
"Well pick something else then!" Naruto yelled his voice over shadowing Amon's own. "I've been running around this stupid country trying to find that thing, give it back now or I'm going to have to take it back!" he demanded as he began to crack his knuckles.
"I'm afraid that's not going to happen." Amon looked over towards the nearest Equalist soldier towards Naruto and nodded to the cannon folder. "I'm sorry you came all this way but I assure you it will not be for nothing."
And that was then things started to get interesting.
The Equalist snuck up behind the yellow hair and shot out a strike right into the young man's shoulder only for the Equalist's hand to be caught by Naruto. The momentary shock was all the young man needed as he shifted his feet and opened his free hand to launch an open palm strike right onto the Equalist's chest.
A shock wave traveled from the strike and shot out through the man's body. As Naruto released his grip on the Equalist, the man stood on his feet all for three seconds before falling to the ground as Naruto started walking towards Amon.
Amon took a step back a mistake as while most member of his audience members were looking at Naruto the rest had their eyes on Amon seeing what he would do next.
Going on their own the rest of the Equalists ran towards Naruto trying to stop him. Naruto dodged every strike and attack as if he was able to anticipate every move.
One tried to throw a pair of bolos at Naruto only for them to stop and fall in midair as Naruto just used a halt gesture to stop the projectiles without even facing them.
Another was right in the motion of thrusting a few rounds of pellets from their hands only for Naruto to raise his hand again and lower his wrist allowing a projectile to shot out from his arm. Naruto's shot broke a part turning into two sparking metal cables that wrapped around the Equalist's arm. A second latter a powerful force pulled the Equalist up and into the air and stuck to the metal catwalk. The Equalist was so flabbergasted that he dropped his own pellets that erupted onto his face choking himself unconscious.
But then came the dragon the Equalist known only as the Lieutenant step forward. His twin Eskrima fighting sticks twirled in his hands as he leaped forwards intending to take Naruto out in a downward strike only to be stopped by an invisible force.
Within Naruto's hands were nothing he just held up his paws as if he were holding a pair of batons as well but he somehow held back the Lieutenant. But even through his green tinted googles the mustached second in command could make out what looked like visible air currents circulating in his opponents hands.
"You… you're an Airbender?!" the Lieutenant said as he was starting to get pushed back.
Naruto rolled his eyes. "What was your first clue smart guy? It's in the description!
"H….how is this possible you can't be an airbender? The only airbenders alive right now are the ones related to Avatar Aang!"
Lowering his arms so the Lieutenant could see his ocean blue eyes flash fiery red for just a second Naruto growled out. "I don't know who that is and I'm really starting to get mad that every person I fought my way down here keeps saying I'm related to this guy!"
"Then where did you even come from…what are you?" Fear was reeking from every direction.
Naruto's spinning air currents were doing more than just keeping the Lieutenant at bay, the managed to cut through the metal weapons shooting out sparks in the older man's hands.
He dropped them like advanced arithmetic as Naruto jumped into the air and spun around bending his leg as he connected his foot to the side of the Lieutenant's head. Kicking enough force to launch the man off the stage and into the air as he landed right into a stage light.
The Lieutenant's charge pack and the electric wiring from the light shorted throughout his body making him cry out until he fell back down to earth.
Everyone in the factory with the Equalists, Amon, and every spectator in the audience including a young girl wearing a red scarf watched in awe as the saw the new Airbender still calmly make his way towards Amon.
Naruto looked back at Amon who was so close now Naruto could see the man's eyes as he answered the questions from before for everyone to hear. "Like I said before I'm Naruto Uzumaki and I'm from a brave New World."
To be continued.